Page 130 of The Fast Lane
“Thanks.” He palmed the box. “You and Theo ar?—”
“I promise I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.” He hesitated. “You deserve to be with someone who loves you, too, you know.”
My breath caught. “That obvious?”
Cal’s head tilted to the side. “Has there ever been a time when you didn’t love him?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing would come out. Because Cal was right. I’d always loved Theo. Always. Maybe not the way I felt now, but a part of me had always been drawn to him.
Nothing had changed. I was older, probably wiser, and just maybe crazy enough to take a chance on us.
I stood on my tippy-toes and pressed a kiss to Cal’s cheek. “I guess we’ll see what happens.”
But I already knew, and I couldn’t wait.
FIFTY-FIVE
Note to self:
If home is where your heart is,
I know exactly where to find mine.
The ceremony was beautiful.
The décor, the flowers, the wedding party, all of them gorgeous. But in the end, it was Melanie and Cal who took everyone’s breath away.
Cal had been right to be nervous about forgetting his vows. When it was his turn to speak, he froze. His wild eyes found mine. I patted my chest and mouthed, from your heart. He blinked and something settled in him. I watched it happen. He went from terrified to self-assured in just a few seconds.
“I can’t remember a word of the vows I wrote.”
The guests tittered.
Cal cleared his throat. “But someone told me to speak from my heart, so I’ll do that instead. Melanie, every day I am thankful for you, for your patience and kindness, for your love. For being my person, the one I want to see first thing in the morning and before I close my eyes at night.”
I sniffled and tried to keep my eyes on the bride and groom. But my gaze wandered to Theo, so handsome, it made my heart ache. What would I do if he moved to Chicago? It felt like we’d just found each other and now I might have to let him go. That wasn’t fair. Would I consider moving to Chicago? If he asked me?
When Alec wanted me to move to Dallas, my answer had been easy and fast. But Theo wasn’t Alec. Theo was my heart.
“I doubt I’m worth all that,” Cal continued, “but I’ll spend every day working to be worthy. I love you, Melanie Harrison. I look forward to spending the rest of my life making sure you always know that.”
Fifteen minutes later, Cal had a wife. Melanie had a husband.
“Excuse me,” Mom said, a death grip on the microphone someone had given her. Smiling, she waited for the wedding guests seated for dinner to quieten down.
After the ceremony, it had been a whirlwind of guests moving their chairs, wedding party photos, introductions, and I’d only just made it to my seat at an extra-long table stretched across the front of the room. I was seated in the middle of the bridesmaids, exhausted, happy, and so hungry, I was beginning to wonder if the flowers in the bouquet I carried might be edible.
Melanie couldn’t keep the smile off her face, nor was she paying attention to much of anything except Cal. I knew that to be true when she hadn’t even noticed I’d forgotten to take care of one little wedding-related detail: replacing the shoes Karen had mauled. In my defense, I did remember about thirty minutes before the ceremony and with very little time or options, I wore my flip-flops down the aisle. I figured by the time Melanie got the photos back, I’d be safely back in Texas.
When the murmur of the guests quieted, Mom continued. “I wanted to extend to you our family’s deepest gratitude for joining us today for Calvin and Melanie’s wedding.” She placed a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “I’m so proud of the man you’ve become, and you’ve chosen a wonderful woman as your bride.” She paused, sniffling. “You’ve made your own family. Of course, I’ll be tickled when you decide to add to that family. Maybe by then, you’ll move back to Texas, so I’ll be able to see my grandbabies.”
Several guests laughed.
“Mom,” Cal groaned. “Please.”
My mother managed to look contrite. “I’m sorry. I went off on a tangent. Anyway, I wanted to let you all know: to thank you, the centerpieces are yours to take home. They were made with love for you all to enjoy. And if you like the candles, you can find my shop online. Just search for Candles by Stephanie.”